Mando Diao- Mean Street EP

I love Sweden, the girls, the places, the saunas… But I love her most for her musical exports (ABBA and The Cardigans) and the next to keep this legacy going are guitar band Mando Diao and their Mean Street EP.
Opener, Mean Street is shimmering light of early Rolling Stones type 60s rock and roll. Driven by a playful piano and a shuffling drum beat, the single really zips along feeling modern and old school at the same delightful time.
Give Me Fire is a slightly more hard edged song which is slowly softened by a tingle on the keys giving way to a beautifully written middle 8 section and a rousing finish.
Third track, Blue Lining, White Trench Coat is yet another riot of guitars and soaring vocals. Final track, Burning Up is built around the patter of drums and wonderfully sung imagery and is like all the other songs on this EP- an utter joy to behold. Note the woodwind at the end of the song which is a nice touch.

The Swedish music scene has come up trumps again.

Review by George McSorley

Franz Ferdinand- Can’t Stop Feeling

Franz Ferdinand, that Scottish arty band named after a duke who indirectly started the First World War are capping a few fab festival performances with the release of the single Can’t Stop Feeling.
A tale of lament of being left alone in the club (the band’s spiritual home for the quite good third LP) is given the classic keyboard driven dance indie treatment which few bands can match. It’s all hooks and beats blend together with Alex’s unique delivery. B side, Die on the Dance Floor is the single’s dub step half brother with all the same lyrics but a different more chilled out twist. Lovely.
No way is it Take Me Out but I just can’t stop feeling that beat has I dance around the laptop.

Review by George McSorley

Asher Roth- Be By Myself

After his successful debut single, Asher Roth has recruited Cee-Lo to give second single a little sparkle. However somewhere between this being recorded and it hitting the music press, this sparkle seems to have disappeared without a trace. If found please facebook/myspace Roth and tell him where you found it and he’s not having it back.
Roth does have good rhythm and style played against a pastiche 60s soul background, all whirling keyboards and the like. It’s not too dissimilar to a Gnarls Barkley record, sadly though one which should of stayed in their head rather than in everyone else.
All I want to do is sing Cosmic Girl (Jay Kay you have a lot to answer for) when Cee-Lo kicks in with the chorus which adds the shabby state of affairs. Cee-Lo, you can do so much better than this…
The instrumental is good, mainly because it’s an instrumental.
As for the Roth-mister well only time will tell if he is the next big thing in rap. With my knowledge of rap, I give him two minutes before he’s back lugging garbage into the truck. Go be by yourself for a while Mr. Roth and think about what you have done.

Review by George McSorley

Eminem - We Made You

A few weeks ago, I proclaimed the return of a rap god- only problem was that wasn’t the first single back, this one is instead and I am not a happy camper.

This single is flawed- it sounds like a nursery rhyme and Eminem is clearly on autopilot has he raps about the rock star culture and his filthy mouth. Yes the references to Amy Winehouse and Jessica Simpson are slightly out (he has been working on for since 2004) but he sounds like he’s rapping using a phone in a call centre.

Will the real Slim Shady please stand up- because I think this version is faulty.

Review by George McSorley